Twelve years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi first sat down at the microphone, Mann Ki Baat is still finding new stories — and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari wants every Indian to hear the message loud and clear. Responding to the 139th episode of the monthly radio programme, broadcast on Sunday, 25 October 2026, Gadkari called the Prime Minister's words 'deeply inspiring' and urged citizens to make local products, a clean environment, and a spirit of service the pillars of everyday life.

What Modi said in the 139th episode

In the episode marking the programme's 12th anniversary, Prime Minister Modi described Mann Ki Baat as a 'teertha yatra' — a pilgrimage — to salute the hard work and dedication of ordinary Indians. He renewed his call for 'Vocal for Local', noting that Indian products are now reaching markets across the world. He highlighted chemical-free cotton farming in Punjab, the self-reliance of women weavers connected to the handloom trade, and river-rejuvenation efforts in Uttarakhand as living proof that citizens are changing India without waiting for the spotlight.

Modi reserved a salute — his word — for those working quietly, without fanfare, for their communities. Gadkari echoed that sentiment, writing that the message would inspire every Indian to contribute 'at their own level' to society and the nation.

Twelve years of Mann Ki Baat — and what it represents

Mann Ki Baat was launched in October 2014, shortly after Modi took office, as a direct-to-citizen radio address on All India Radio. Over more than a decade it has become one of the most consistent strands of government communication in India — a monthly platform where grassroots stories, governance themes, and civic values are woven together. The programme's longevity is itself a political signal: continuity of message from the same voice, reaching rural and urban listeners alike.

The Vocal for Local campaign it amplifies was formally launched as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan in May 2020, originally as an economic response to pandemic-era supply-chain shocks. Six years on, it has evolved into a broader cultural pitch — buy Indian, celebrate Indian craftsmanship, reduce import dependence — that sits at the heart of the government's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.

Gadkari's message: the Diwali timing is deliberate

Gadkari's post notes that Modi made the Vocal for Local appeal on the occasion of Diwali — the festival when consumer spending in India peaks. The timing is pointed. Every year, domestic manufacturers and artisans compete against a flood of imported goods, particularly decorative items and electronics, during the festive season. Invoking Vocal for Local at this moment is a direct ask to consumers choosing between a local diya-maker and a cheaper import.

Gadkari closed his post with a confident declaration: only when every citizen makes local products, a clean environment, and service a part of daily life will the resolve of a Viksit Bharat truly be realised. It is a line that doubles as a political credo — self-reliance not as a government scheme but as a citizen's personal commitment.

The grassroots examples Modi cited — chemical-free fields in Punjab, looms run by independent women, rivers coaxed back to life in Uttarakhand — are precisely the kind of story Mann Ki Baat was designed to amplify. After 12 years and 139 episodes, the programme's bet is that enough of those stories, told often enough, add up to a national character. Gadkari's post is a reminder that the bet is still live.